Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Romney on the Bailout

Mitt Romney visits Peterborough 2Image by Tim Somero via FlickrCan you tell that I'm interested in the auto bailout? Here's another link to Romney's editorial in today's NY Times that I found on Alex Bain's site. Couple quick thoughts.
  • It ran in the NY Times because that is a traditionally liberal (pro union) paper, so it has even greater weight.
  • What an opening line: "IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won’t go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed."
  • He establishes instant credibility with the story about his dad taking over and running a car company.
  • It's fair to point out that watching his father go through it and probably struggle with the unions makes him have very little sympathy for union workers.
  • Romney made his money as a Private Equity guy. He knows turnarounds. You could make the generalization that most U.S. industries will need to go through turnaround mode and a guy like Romney would be incredibly useful.
  • Where was this editorial during the Finance crisis? Those are Romney's people. Interesting that he's willing to comment on a crisis in Industry, but not the Finance world.
  • I wish he would not have been so crazy on the social issues during the primary. He lost a ton of credibility with me because he dove far right on social issues.
Great editorial. This is the type of discussion we need in today's world.
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